South Carolina women's basketball: Gamecocks in the WNBA - A'ja Wilson outduels Aliyah Boston to advance to WNBA Finals

In this week’s Gamecocks in the WNBA, A’ja Wilson and the Las Vegas Aces out-dueled Aliyah Boston and the Indiana Fever in an epic elimination game to advance to the WNBA Finals.

Las Vegas beat Indiana 107-98 in overtime Tuesday to advance to its third Finals in four years. The Aces won back-to-back titles in 2022 and 2023.

Wilson finished with 35 points, eight rebounds, five assists, four steals, and four blocks. She became the first player in WNBA history to score 35 or more points in multiple elimination games, the first player with consecutive games of 30 or more points, three steals, and three blocks, and the first player with 35 points, five rebounds, and five assists in a playoff game.

One game after Boston scored a playoff career-high 24 points, she tied her career-high with 16 rebounds to go with 11 points and two assists.

Poor officiating has been a source of controversy in these playoffs, and Tuesday was no different. Late in the first half, Las Vegas had been called for 12 fouls to Indiana’s five. After Lexie Hull grabbed Jackie Young’s arm on a shot attempt three feet from the official with no call, Aces coach Becky Hammon picked up a technical foul.

After that, Indiana was called for eight of the next nine fouls. The officials hit Boston with four touch fouls which limited her playing time and ultimately fouled her out.

Every time Las Vegas started to pull away, Indiana came back, despite Boston’s foul trouble and losing Kelsey Mitchell to an injury. But the Fever finally ran out of gas in overtime, and now Wilson and the Aces will play for their third WNBA championship.

The schedule for the best-of-seven finals between (2) Las Vegas and (4) Phoenix is:
Game 1 – Friday, October 3 – Phoenix at Las Vegas (8:00 ET, ESPN)
Game 2 – Sunday, October 5 – Phoenix at Las Vegas (3:00 ET, ABC)
Game 3 – Wednesday, October 8 – Las Vegas at Phoenix (8:00 ET, ESPN)
Game 4 – Friday, October 10 – Las Vegas at Phoenix (8:00 ET, ESPN)
Game 5 – Sunday, October 12 – Phoenix at Las Vegas (3:00 ET, ABC) (If Necessary)
Game 6 – Wednesday, October 15 – Las Vegas at Phoenix (8:00 ET, ESPN) (If Necessary)
Game 7 – Friday, October 17 – Phoenix at Las Vegas (8:00 ET, ESPN) (If Necessary)

Indiana Fever
Aliyah Boston
Playoffs: 8 games (8 starts), 31.5 mpg, 12.5 ppg, 11.4 rpg, 4.1 apg, 0.4 bpg, 0.5 spg

Indiana might have come up short, but Boston announced herself as one of the best players in the WNBA, and probably the second-best center in the league (behind Wilson). She averaged 12.6 points and 12.4 rebounds, plus 3.8 assists. Most impressive was her defense. It’s been years since anyone has frustrated Wilson the way Boston did. Boston held Wilson to 6-22 shooting in the Game 1 upset, and in Game 4 had more free throws made and attempted than the entire Aces team. It was like watching Gamecock Aliyah Boston, who wasn’t always a big scorer but dominated games with her defense and rebounding.

Last week:
at Las Vegas (89-73 win): 29 minutes*, 6 points, 11 rebounds, 5 assists 
at Las Vegas (90-68 loss): 29 minutes*, 10 points, 13 rebounds, 3 assists
vs Las Vegas (84-72 loss): 38 minutes*, 12 points, 8 rebounds, 4 assists, steal, block
vs Las Vegas (90-83 win): 34 minutes*, 24 points, 14 rebounds, 5 assists, 2 steals, 2 blocks
at Las Vegas (107-98/OT loss): 32 minutes*, 11 points, 16 rebounds, 2 assists 

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Bree Hall
Playoffs: 4 games, 2.0 mpg, 1.5 ppg, 0.8 rpg
Hall got some garbage time in the first two games of the series, but that was it. However, she was apparently the key to success for the Fever. Indiana was 21-20 and clinging to the eighth playoff spot when it signed Hall. They immediately went on a three-game winning streak, won their first round series in a major upset, and then took the Aces to the wire. Indiana was 7-4 with Hall on the roster, so maybe she never should have been cut in the first place.

Last week:
at Las Vegas (89-73 win): 1 minute, 2 points, 2 rebounds
at Las Vegas (90-68 loss): 3 minutes, rebound
vs Las Vegas (84-72 loss): DNP-CD
vs Las Vegas (90-83 win): DNP-CD
at Las Vegas (107-98/OT loss): DNP-CD

Upcoming games:
Indiana’s season is over.

Las Vegas Aces 
A’ja Wilson
Playoffs: 8 games (8 starts), 35.9 mpg, 26.0 ppg, 9.1 rpg, 3.0 apg, 2.8 bpg, 2.6 spg, 50.0 3P%

Boston and Indiana did a better job defending Wilson than anyone in years (and Las Vegas seemed unwilling to get its best player the ball at times). And yet, Wilson became the first player in history with 30 points, three blocks, and three steals in a playoff game, and then did it again the next game.

In the elimination game, Wilson became the first WNBA player ever with 35 points, eight rebounds, five assists, four steals, and four blocks. Not only that, but only eight NBA players have matched that stat line, none since 2019, and only one in the playoffs (a gentleman so good they gave him a doctorate, Julius Erving)

Last week:
vs Indiana (89-73 loss): 34 minutes*, 16 points, 13 rebounds, 4 blocks, assist
vs Indiana (90-68 win): 33 minutes*, 25 points, 9 rebounds, 5 steals, 2 blocks, assist
at Indiana (84-72 win): 37 minutes*, 13 points, 8 rebounds, 4 assists, 3 blocks, steal
at Indiana (90-83 loss): 36 minutes*, 31 points, 9 rebounds, 4 steals, 3 assists, 3 blocks
vs Indiana (107-98/OT win): 41 minutes*, 35 points, 8 rebounds, 5 assists, 4 steals, 4 blocks

Upcoming games:
Las Vegas plays Phoenix in the WNBA Finals (schedule above). Las Vegas won the season series 3-1. Phoenix beat defending champion New York and then upset top-seeded Minnesota to advance to the Finals.

The Mercury beat the Aces 76-70 on June 15, but the Aces won 84-81 on June 29, 86-83 on August 15, and 83-61 on August 21. Wilson sat out the loss, which looms large because Phoenix had no answer for her when she played. In the three wins, Wilson had huge double-doubles: 26 points and 18 rebounds, followed by 30 points and 16 rebounds, and then 19 points and 13 rebounds in the blowout.

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